As the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, continues, experts are warning of a growing threat known as ‘wrench attacks.’ These attacks involve criminals using open-source information and social media to target vulnerable individuals, often with the goal of extracting ransom.

What are Wrench Attacks?

According to Lisa J. Miller, a retired detective and law enforcement executive at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, wrench attacks can involve complicated crypto transactions, encrypted chats, and conspiracies that may cross international borders. The concept is simple: a ‘mastermind’ plans the attack remotely and hires local muscle to carry out a physical abduction, which involves threats and violence to extract ransom.

There have been 34 documented wrench attack incidents in the first four months of 2026, according to the cybersecurity firm Certik — a 41% increase over last year. While the vast majority of these attacks have occurred in France, the United States is a distant second.

Protecting Yourself

Miller advises that protecting oneself from wrench attacks requires minimizing the amount of personal information available online. This includes restricting social media profiles, never posting photos of your home, and being mindful of who can see pictures of your children and family.

Additionally, there are paid services that specialize in locking down your personal information as it appears online, and some tech firms, such as Google, will help for free. Miller also recommends monitoring your online presence and being aware of your surroundings, both online and offline.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.